On paper, Xbox Game Pass is in the middle of a hot streak. It recently added Double Fine's Keeper and Ninja Gaiden 4, with Moonlighter 2 and The Outer Worlds 2 rounding out October (alongside plenty of other options). November will also see the addition of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, one of the biggest franchises in the world, alongside other games. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate arguably remains one of the best values in gaming, but that sentiment recently shifted from more universally accepted to more personally applicable. For example, Ninja Gaiden 4 fans may be curious if this one game alone justifies the continued cost of Xbox Game Pass.
In early October, Xbox Game Pass prices increased across the board. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, its most comprehensive tier, has increased from $19.99 to $29.99, with the new price taking effect immediately for new subscribers and on November 4 for current subscribers. Alongside this price hike is the addition of Ubisoft+ titles and Fortnite Crew benefits (beginning November 18). That's great for Fortnite players, as it effectively combines the two, but there are undoubtedly fans who are curious whether it's worth it if they aren't into these benefits. Like many situations, for Ninja Gaiden fans, it's a hard maybe?
Ninja Gaiden 4 Lands Strongly on Xbox Game Pass, But...
I've beaten Ninja Gaiden 4, and as I played through it, I tried to think about it from an Xbox Game Pass subscriber perspective (which I am, but I played it early). I say that for full transparency as I ramble on about the cost of it. Ninja Gaiden 4 is pretty much what you'd expect it to be, so I don't think it lets down any expectations on its own. It's a fun hack-and-slash style action game, which excels at power fantasy without removing challenge. It is a challenge that rewards players in the moment-to-moment gameplay because, more than once, the finishers and gore got a pop out of me.
Trust me, I don't really pop that easily for anything. Beyond the core combat, the story is fine. I don't think it's the greatest story in the world, so if that's what you're looking for, then you've definitely played this story in video games before: complete the objectives, complete a shorter set of objectives, kill the final boss. That's your set-up. I like Yakumo a lot, but I could see players being split on the new Ninja Gaiden 4 protagonist. He's very different from Ryu, whose role in the story is mostly fun, but his playable sections (confirmed before release) got more groans out of me than anything. You'll see why when/if you play; it's pretty obvious why those sections are my least favorite. All of this said: is Ninja Gaiden 4 worth keeping your Xbox Game Pass subscription for?
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This article originally appeared on GameRant and is republished here with permission.
